Official Game Poll

Instructions: Anyone can and should start a thread in their team forum with this discussion so they can discuss among themselves.

Please discuss whether you want this game to be played via Play by Email (PBEM) or PitBoss. Please discuss the pros/cons of each style, and then decide which method will work best for the Civ4 MTDG. This discussion will end no sooner than the weekend. At that time, if your team has decided on a UN representative, they can come to this thread and cast their vote for their team - just write "Team X votes PBEM/PitBoss". Majority wins.

Let's consider carefully before we vote! Both styles have plusses and minuses, so let's really discuss this question.

I like the idea of a Pitboss/PBEM combo game. There are a few reasons

1. I think each team has the potential to put together a turnplayer 1 or 2 days a week for 1-2 hours.
2. Game speed. IIRC the game can have both Pitboss(for that 1-2 hours) and PBEM (the rest of the time) to move things along. One of the biggest complaints I hear from SG'ers is PBEM's move too slow and I think we'd get more of them to join in.
3. I like the idea of a turnplayer having to think on his/her feet ingame. Though it's likely there would be plenty of discusssions of hypothetical situations in advance it adds another interesting dimension to decision making IMO. This also seems to benefit our team since I have full confidence in the players here.

if we do pitboss sessions, we should really make sure at least 2 other people are available via MSN to chat about moves.

Another thing is that 1 to 2 hours in the early game could be 50 turns :eek: , so maybe pitboss would have to have a 5 or 10 limit so we keep the demogame feel.

That would make sense. Maybe 10 in the early game and 5 later?

I'm fine with either and could be available *hopefully* with either style. After all I have a new kid to unwrap and play with at the beginning of May.

I prolly won't vote in this one since I don't care. both have their advantages. What would be nice is if we could pitboss it at the beginning and then switch to PBEM once it gets complicated.

Now that I think of it, PBEM would be best if we can't switch mid-stream. What happens if someone bum rushes us? We would want time to build an alliance. We would need time to assess the situation.

I know that this isn't realistic to real life, but surprises do happen. and should be used as a tactic if PitBoss is used.

Not actually played either in Civ 4 so can't really comment on this one, although PBEM might be easier for people to pick up as time permits, pitboss would have to be more organised (and yes it sounds like we would want several of us available on chat or something).

I just cast my vote for PBEM. I see no reason to rush this game.... we would have to be super-organized to keep everyone involved and I'm sure that the other teams would fall apart and we would end up with an abandoned game.

PBEM could at least allow teams to play at their leisure. If anyone want to play a solo Pitboss game that's fun and I'd be up for it if I could find some time, but a team Pitboss would get tough and the sessions would be long.

Our Anarchy would be able to handle it I think, but some of the other teams require polls and quorums and discussion. That would break down in a Pitboss game. I really don't think that it matters what we vote. I see the other teams voting for PBEM.

I'm going to vote pitboss, just because, I believe, if it doesn't work out, it can revert to a pbem game (someone please confirm). Later game turns are complicated, but earlier turns are really just simple build and research decisions. I'm thinking that the 1st 50 to 100 turns get quashed via pitboss (that would be 10 or 20 weeks, depending on the turn limitation) and then the game reverts to pbem as city numbers grow and things get complicated.

I would also like, however, that each team gets a pic of thier starting position so things can be discussed before any turns are played.

If that would work then I would change my vote. I understand that the beginnings of a civ4 game are dull and bothersome to get around. It's just the mid-to-late game that it would be very difficult.

If we can switch back and forth between pitboss and PBEM, well...I don't know which option I'm supposed to pick. Pitboss would certainly speed up the early game, with those turns that have absolutely nothing to do.

If we can't, PBEM.

Um, maybe you need a third option, like "What's Pitboss?" or even a fourth, like "What's PBEM?" except I know what that is. :D

I was able to load a Pitboss save from Whomp & my game. So theoretically we could switch. The only issue is that the passwords were already in there and I didn't have to type them in. Hopefully that's a setting that can be changed.

Since it's looking like Sirian is making the map then he can make it so that we can easily swithc with the correct settings and stuff.

The vote is 2-2. I'm going to do a team vote in the main forum that Team Piffle votes for Pitboss assuming that it can be switched to PBEM once Alpha is researched by any team.

Is that ok?